


Forgotten Code

by skyoung200



Series: Fairy Tale Loving Smaurent Grown Up [3]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Lost Memories, M/M, baby smaurent, damen is down with laurent's shenanigans, forgotten code, hidden journal, library secrets, writing in code
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:15:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24316405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyoung200/pseuds/skyoung200
Summary: Laurent was informed of a problem with one of his treasured bookshelves and while inspecting it he found more than he expected to. And he can't even fucking read what he found.(Part of a series though can be read stand alone just fine!)
Relationships: Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)
Series: Fairy Tale Loving Smaurent Grown Up [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1508204
Comments: 1
Kudos: 26





	Forgotten Code

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This fic was entirely inspired by the fact that I'm trying to learn how to write elian script and it made me think about smaurent learning codes with his brother to hide their secrets and yeah. So here it is!

Laurent was cursing his past self colorfully.

It was a script, a coded script, which he no longer remembered how to read.

Fuck.

In Laurent’s hands there was an entire journal full of heavily inked pages and folded notes, entirely written in this script. The lines slopped and looped and occasional dots differentiated certain characters from the rest but to him, it now seemed a blur of illegible lines.

He had found it crammed underneath a bookshelf. Not just under it, but also hidden behind a false bottom or runner board of sorts. The board was cracked, so however he had gotten it there in the first place was failing with age and, as with every problem in his library, Laurent had been swiftly informed, and with a push and a crack that’s how he had rediscovered this journal’s sanctuary. Safe from the world, and now with time’s passage, infinitely safer now that the code key had been lost or at least lost in Laurent’s memory.

He recognized the cover at least. It was a journal of sorts he had started just before his brother had left for war and ended when he could no longer hide things from his uncle. It had once been Auguste’s own notebook; the first few pages were in an entirely different handwriting though the same script from the rest of the pages and notes. The binding was a soft leather, embossed in gold was Auguste’s crest on the cover and his name on the binding. Laurent sat on the dusty floor of the library, turning the journal over gently in his hands, the broken board of the bookshelf on the ground next to him.

He was so absorbed in running his fingers gently along Auguste’s writing he didn’t notice anything until the pages he was admiring suddenly darkened and a loud creak caught his attention.

The bookshelf tilted, slowly forward, creaking ominously until one great crack was released and it was no longer moving slowly. Laurent figured really it was fitting that a bookshelf would be his end of all the things he had faced in his life as he scrambled for a moment to get away from the now tumbling cascade of heavy tomes, with shelves quickly following.

He made it only a few scoots before another shadow loomed into the scene over him. This time, the only noise was a grunt as Damen, with a bit of strain, grabbed onto the crashing down shelves, pushing them up and holding a wide stance. “I didn’t think the damage was this bad” He quipped cheerily despite the weight of the shelf he was now supporting, moving a shoulder under and puffing out heavy breaths, “You said a small crack in a shelf not one out to assassinate the king, get out of there Laurent.”

Laurent was quick to roll out from under and use his own strength to push the other side of the shelves, “It was just a crack,” he let out his own grunt of effort, “I made it worse and well now, it’s angry at me for stealing it’s hidden treasure.” With both of them pushing the shelf was back upright and in its place, though it creaked slightly again and neither dared let it go quite yet.

Damen sometimes wondered if his Veretian was going or if he had just missed out on learning some phrases or prose details because when Laurent spoke nowadays it seemed a little more fantastical and nonsensical, but he smiled nonetheless, “Ah well, then we’ll have to get someone to fix it. And treasure? How many things are hidden around this castle?” His voice was maybe a touch exasperated, but his curiosity was genuine otherwise. The whole hidden room had been a lot and now he wondered if every shelf or tapestry could hide a door. If this was another room, or trapdoor, Damen wasn’t sure if he’d be able to handle the dramatics. He focused back on his husband who seemed thoroughly tussled and disorganized from his discoveries and subsequent book related injuries. He kept a steading hand on the self and reached out another to tuck some of the hair that had escaped from Laurent’s lengthy braid back behind his ear.

“Many many things, my dear, and this is just the beginning of discoveries should I have the time to wander as I have.” He blushed softly as Damen’s hand settled on his cheek and to distract himself, he held up the journal he still had clutched tightly in one of his hands. He had so much free time since winter had set in, riding was not as much of an option, and rediscovering his home without the weight of the eyes of an old abuser was something he was enjoying. He turned the journal so Damen could see the cover, “This is a journal of mine I hid away long ago…” he laughed a little and waved it around, “written in a code I no longer remember how to read, with no key obviously inside.”

Damen cracked a wide smile and shook his head with a laugh. It was then that the librarian who Laurent employed to keep his library in top condition while he was away in the south came around a corner, drawn by the great crack that probably could have been heard from across the entire great chamber, and saw the kings standing there, propping up an ancient set of shelves with books scattered at their feet. He seemed to go pale for a minute before shouting for the guards who had bene stationed at the doors to come and help relieve the kings of the great weight.

As the soldiers relieved them from the shelf, they stepped over and away from the mess together, Laurent leaving this bigger mess for this journal. “Now we just have to figure out how to read it.” Laurent said and then turned down an aisle to find the code breaking and code writing books to look for a key. Damen, doing one more double look to be sure the soldiers had it handled, hurried along to catch up with his lover. This was surely the beginning of a long studying session.

**Author's Note:**

> I plan to have a couple more chapters down the line soon! Please let me know what you think!


End file.
